US approves drones for civilian useThe Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has issued certificates for two types of unmanned aircraft for civilian use. The move is expected to lead to the first approved commercial drone operation later this summer. The two unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are the Scan Eagle X200 and Aero Vironment’s PUMA.

Pittsburgh SWAT sued for ‘terrorizing’ young family at gunpointA Pennsylvania family has filed a lawsuit against the Pittsburgh police department, claiming that two dozen SWAT team members raided their home and terrorized their two children in retaliation for a prior incident involving an officer outside a local bar.

SEC seeking warrant exemption for private email accessThe US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has become the latest federal government agency to push for greater access to private email data. An agency proposal next week is expected to request warrantless powers.

Feds put heat on Web firms for master encryption keysWhether the FBI and NSA have the legal authority to obtain the master keys that companies use for Web encryption remains an open question, but it hasn’t stopped the U.S. government from trying. (Credit: Declan McCullagh) The U.S. government has attempted to obtain the master encryption keys that Internet companies use to shield millions of users’ private Web communications from eavesdropping.

New Defaults Trouble a Mortgage ProgramBanks and other mortgage servicers have accepted $815 million in taxpayer-funded incentives for helping homeowners who have since redefaulted on their home loans, a watchdog for the Treasury Department ‘s Troubled Asset Relief Program, or TARP, reported on Wednesday.

Russia Cites Extradition as Sore Point With U.S.MOSCOW – Russian officials complained on Monday that the United States routinely disregards extradition requests by the Russian government, the latest in a series of public statements that seem aimed at laying the groundwork for granting asylum to Edward J. Snowden, the former intelligence contractor on the run from the American authorities.

A.C.L.U. Urges Inquiries in Shooting of Man Tied to Boston SuspectWASHINGTON – The American Civil Liberties Union on Monday urged local law enforcement officials in Florida and Massachusetts to open investigations into how an F.B.I. agent killed a man who was being interrogated in his Orlando apartment about the Boston Marathon bombing suspects.

Rand Paul slams Obama’s plans for military involvement in SyriaSenator Rand Paul (R-Kentucky) had harsh words this week for the White House with regards to the Obama administration’s consistent inching towards a war in Syria. Lawmakers in the United States continue to debate what role the US should take in the increasingly bloody Syrian civil war, but Sen.

Bankers Own the WorldToday, some of the most celebrated individuals and institutions are ensconced within the financial industry; in banks, hedge funds, and private equity firms. Which is odd because none of these firms or individuals actually make anything, which society might point to as additive to our living standards.

Administration Attacks on Free Press: Succeeding Where Nixon Failed?On Friday, the Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of the Obama administration that New York Times writer and author James Risen must testify in the trial of Jeffrey Sterling, a former CIA agent charged with leaking information on an apparently bungled CIA operation that Risen reports led to an increase in nuclear weapons-building knowledge by Iran.

Panama releases former CIA operative wanted by ItalyA former CIA operative detained in Panama this week at the request of Italian authorities over his conviction in the 2003 kidnapping of a Muslim cleric in Milan was released Friday and had boarded a flight to the United States, U.S. officials said.

Manning trial sets execution precedent for future whistleblowersThe decision to pursue a charge of aiding and abetting the enemy against whistleblower Bradley Manning opens the door to future whistleblowers facing execution, Jeff Paterson, director of Courage to Resist told RT. RT: You were actually at the courtroom today – what are your impressions of the conduct of the trial, and of Manning himself?

The Few Banks that Own AllIn the autumn of 2011 an already legendary study by a number of Swiss scientists revealed that a small number of banks controlled a decisive stake in the globe’s economy. The idea that the banks are a cartel and that this cartel controls the economy is now a scientifically quantified matter of record.

Utah ISP owner describes the NSA ‘black box’ that spied on his customersThere’s been more pushback on privacy from the private sector ever since leaked documents revealed the existence of massive NSA spying programs that tap into consumer services. But the owner of XMission, a small ISP in Utah, has been especially adversarial towards the secret FISA court orders which force companies to give data to the government.